Americapedia

Serving in the Military

By serving in the military, citizens defend the freedom Americans won in the Revolutionary War and continue to cherish. In this way, citizens have made careers of public service and have become the guardians of their own liberty.

In 1775, George Washington called his military appointment an “unhappy necessity” and reassured Americans that no standing army would continue after the war for independence was over. He explained, “When we assumed the soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen.”